Improved clothes-wringer



CALEB H. PACKARD, OF NORTH BRIDGEWATER, MASSACHUSETTS, AS-

SIGNOR TO JOHN J. HALEY, CURTIS G. MORSE, AND ADDISON BOYDEN,

OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

,lNiPPLOVED CLOTH ES-WPLINGEPL.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,864, dated Sept mber S, 1863.

To all whom, it may concern: l

Be it known that I, CALEB H. PACKARD, of North Bridgewater, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Clothes-Wringin g Machines, of whichV the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specitication, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of one end of my improved machine, showing the manner of operating the rolls. Fig. 2 is a view of the coupling G detached, showing the intermediate gears, E and F,in red, and the manner of connecting them with the roll-gears B and C by means of the sleeve H and slot I.

In that class of wringing machines in which the shafts of the squeezing-rolls are connected together by gears it is necessary that the teeth of these gearsshould be of great length, in order that they may run together when the rolls are forced apart by the clothes being passed between them. Vhen they are thus forced apart, however, only the extreme ends of the teeth are engaged with each other, which are thus speedily worn out, and the machine rendered useless. In some cases the end of the upper roll carrying the gear has been prevented from rising by a pin or other device, so as to keep the gears always in cont tot; but this was objectionable as the clothes were not uniformly squeezed on account of the inclination of the upper roll.

To avoid these objections is the object of my present invention, which consists in the employment of intermediate gears, in connection with the gears on the ends of the squeezingrolls, so applied'as to continue to drive the squeezing-rolls, however much they may separate or approach each other, by Ywhich means the gears are caused to run evenly together without the play occasioned by making the teeth of great length.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out.

In the accompanying drawings A is the frame-work of the machine in fixed bearings, in which runs the shaft a of the lower roll. The shaft b of the upper roll runs in bearings c, which are free to rise and fall in vertical grooves in the frame-work A, and are controlled by springs d. The shafts c b are provided at one end, outside of the frame-work, with gears B C. The power applied to the gear C by means of the handleD is transmitted through the intermediate gears, E F, to the gear B on the shaft of the upper roll. The gears E and F run on studs projecting fromV a frame or coupling, G,'made in one piece, and provided at its lower end with a hollow sleeve, H, which tits over the shaft a of the lower roll. In the upper portion of this frame is formed a slot, I, made concentric with the gear F. This slotted portion of the frame encompasses the end of the shaft b of the upper roll, and is controlled thereby, for the purposeof effecting its liarmoniousrconnection with the gear C through the intermediate gears, E and F.

During the operation of passing the clothes through the rolls for wringing', the shaft vof the upper roll rises and falls continually in a vertical line, and by means of the end b fitting into the slotted portion of the frame, together with the sleeve H, the intermediate gears are kept continually in vcontact with the gears B and C, thus avoiding the Wear occasioned by the old method whereintermediate gears were not employed.

I am aware that intermediate gears have been used to drive the feed-rolls in planingmachines, Which were also pressure-rolls, but pressure for a diiferent purpose.

'I do not confine myself' to the particular method above described of attaching the interinediate gears, as it is obvious that other means may be used to accomplish this purpose without departing from the spirit of my invention.

l/Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent as an improvement in clothes-wringing machines, is-

In combination with a pair of squeezingrolls, one or both of which are hung in yielding bearings, and both driven by eogged gears, the intermediate gears, Er and F, for the purpose ofcontnuin g to drive the squeezing-rolls, however much they may separate or approach each other, substantially 'as described.

C. H. PACKARD.

Witnesses:

P. E. Tasonntraonnn, N. W. STEARNS. 

